DeepSeek has led to a diplomatic commotion alongside sending stock market shockwaves and distressing the big tech global ecosystem. In this blog I explain why it’s time for Techlomacy as we need to up our Digital play in diplomacy.
I am no expert on Diplomacy. But what I understand is that it’s a function of civil services that safeguards a country’s foreign interests. Ever since nations have been there in whatever form, there has been an innate desire, sometimes necessity of emerging strongest among others, especially neighbours. As the connectivity improved and became real-time, the ‘catchment’ of desire expanded.
Diplomacy along with the geo-politics has been about confront and conquer or convince and collaborate. The reasons or motivations behind these have been controlling resources, evolving economically, and dominating politically. Whatever may be the reason, the underlying aim is to boost economy either by controlling resources or expanding market.
Over the years, the diplomatic ties were influenced by abundance of natural resources like agricultural produce, oil, gas, minerals, etc. Defence has been another pivotal driver. Gradually we saw technology also becoming an agenda for diplomacy. Tech advanced countries saw an opportunity to propagate and accrue their R&D achievements while the developing nations wanted to acquire tech to expedite growth and catchup with growing economies. Of course, all this followed the first desire to have peace across the world!
The voice for having science-savvy diplomats got first formal platform when in 1998 NAS (National Academy of Sciences) panel offered US State Department suggestions regarding improving the quality of scientific advice available to diplomats. Since then, scientific attaché become part of the diplomatic profiles along with military, cultural and other attachés.
In India also we do have scientific attaché as part of our diplomatic teams serving in different countries. It may not be a profile as penetrated as a military attaché but for important countries like US, UK, etc., our embassies and high commissions do have one. For instance, this recent advertisement for filling up scientific attaché in the High Commission of India in London.
However, the orientation of this profile has been around only certain areas of technology like biotechnology, bioterrorism, climate change, agriculture, etc. Technology is a very vast term as it encompasses several dimensions especially as we are fast moving towards a digital economy.
There is big tech within the ambit of digital economy which essentially lays the core building blocks of any technology led intervention. All these big tech areas are nothing less in significance and potential than natural resources. We are witness to how major global economies have been diplomatically fighting this space and trying to establish early lead not only to serve a wider market but also get access to data which is now inherently part of any digital intervention. There is always some degree of data accessible in such transactions.
Technology is now an agenda for the topmost executive of any country. For this, everyone bureaucracy as well as diplomacy, in some cases even military has to collaborate. For instance, just look at how a single announcement of DeepSeek has plunged stocks of pioneers of AI technology blocks like Nvidia. It has already wiped off $593 billion of Nvidia’s market value. This is wall street’s record one-day loss for any company in history. This is obviously now going to be a priority for the newly setup Trump administration. The development is not only having an immediate impact on the markets but also shakes the prospects of US in AI, one of the fundamental big tech economies.
Back in India, we also need to have a relook at the way we do our diplomacy. We are already on the journey of $5 trillion economy out of which 20% ($1 trillion) is aimed from digital sector. Digital products and services are going to be an important contributor of our exports in coming times. The journey has just begun. We have also already taken a lead in DPI and our endeavours of participating globally have been well received. UPI for instance, is already being accepted in 7 countries.
Technology, especially digital technology is already a high interest area for all major economies. For the next decade or more, it’s going to keep nations, and their leaders busy in conquering and establishing a lead in digital technologies. We too need to prepare for it. For that our diplomacy needs a digital booster. This could be either having Digital attachés in strategic countries or widening the profile of existing Scientific / Technology attaché, though I feel we should have a dedicated Digital attaché.
The ramifications of digital sector are multipronged and have a very deep and wide impact. Our diplomacy needs to be very strong and convincing in this sector. Only then we will have a strong balance of power in our favour politically, militarily, economically, and of course diplomatically. We are in the era of Techlomacy!
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